John Chard

John Chard (21 December 1847-1 November 1897) was a British Army colonel who distinguished himself during the Anglo-Zulu War, receiving a Victoria Cross for his leadership at the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift.

Biography
John Chard was born in Plymouth, Devon, England on 21 December 1847, and he attended the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich before being commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1868. From 1870 to 1874, he was stationed in Bermuda, and he returned home for his father's funeral. From 1874 to 1876, he was stationed in Malta, and, on 2 December 1878, he was one of the extra engineers sent to reinforce Lord Chelmsford's South African army ahead of the Anglo-Zulu War. He and his men converted the Rorke's Drift mission into a military outpost, and, on 22 January 1879, Chard and Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead commanded the British defenders against the Zulu impi at the Battle of Rorke's Drift. Chard participated in the conquest of the Zulu Kingdom after the surprise victory at Rorke's Drift, and he was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery. Upon his return to England at the end of the year, he was invited to dinner with Queen Victoria, who was impressed by his modesty. He went on to serve in Cyprus, England, Singapore, and Scotland, and he was promoted to Colonel in 1897. Chard died of tongue cancer in 1897.